Relevance of intellectual organizations questioned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A number of senior statesmen yesterday
\nquestioned the relevance of the presence of religious-based
\nintellectual organizations, saying that it could backfire on the
\nnational unity which has been painfully built over the decades.<\/p>\n
Roeslan Abdulgani, Sabam Sirait, Marzuki Darusman and Nico
\nDaryanto were all invited to the analytical meeting in Bandung
\norganized by the Association of Catholic Intellectuals (ISKA)
\nyesterday to give their views on the presence of religious-based
\nintellectual groupings.<\/p>\n
Although their groups do not violate the Constitution, their
\npresence and objective should be reviewed in the context of the
\nlife of this nation, the speakers conclude, as reported by the
\nAntara news agency.<\/p>\n
The presence of intellectual organizations whose membership
\ndepends on faith has been questioned only recently with the
\nincreasing prominence of the Association of Moslem Intellectuals
\n(ICMI) under the chairmanship of B.J. Habibie, who is also the
\nstate minister of research and technology.<\/p>\n
ICMI is relatively new compared to ISKA and PIKI, the
\nassociation of Christian intellectuals. Hindu intellectuals have
\nsince established FCHI while Buddhist intellectuals last week
\nannounced the formation of their organization, KCBI.<\/p>\n
Roeslan told the meeting in Bandung yesterday that the growth
\nof these organizations had confused him and he feared that they
\ncould contribute to the weakening of the unity and cohesion of
\nthis nation.<\/p>\n
Various problems facing the nation in recent years have caused
\npeople to turn inward into their background, roots or faiths,
\nsaid the former chairman of BP-7, an agency that advises
\nPresident Soeharto on ideological matters.<\/p>\n
To illustrate his point, he cited the problems of wealth
\ndisparity, rampant corruption, the low wages paid to workers and
\ncollusion between businessmen and government officials.<\/p>\n
The intellectual community, from whatever faith, should take
\non the role of neutralizing these problems.<\/p>\n
Responsibility<\/p>\n
They should assume responsibility in accordance with their
\nskill and profession, and use their logic without ignoring their
\nspiritual beliefs, for the benefit of the nation, he said.<\/p>\n
Roeslan said the intellectuals have a duty to society in
\naccordance with their profession and should leave the questions
\nof faith to the religious experts.<\/p>\n
Nico, a politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI),
\nalso agreed on the need to review the presence of ICMI and the
\nother religious-based intellectual organizations.<\/p>\n
\"We shouldn't allow these organizations to serve the political
\ninterests of individuals or their groups,\" said the former PDI
\nsecretary general.<\/p>\n
Sabam Sirait, a PDI legislator, said however that the concerns
\nabout the presence of these groups may have been exaggerated.
\n(emb)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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